Children are a HUGE part of any public library. Sometimes they drive you crazy, but mostly they are absolutely wonderful. Kids are honest, and when they love something, they are not afraid to tell you.
Such was the case today. A former board member came in this morning with the girls she babysits, to pick up their summer reading program t-shirts. All preschoolers. They came in to the workroom, and Dee was trying to track down their shirts. I said hi to one of the little girls, and she just gave me the "stink eye." Eeeeek. Finally, the shirts were found, and the little girls were ecstatic! They jumped up and down and wanted the new shirts on NOW, over their clothes. When the little girl who gave me the stink eye had her shirt on, she jumped up and down, ran over, and gave me a BIG HUG. And then they all traipsed out, full of glee over their fabulous new t-shirts.
If your heart doesn't melt over that, well, you don't have a heart.
It made my day.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Digital Native? Converts?
I was talking to two friends tonight about the exact same thing. Technology. We are all the same age, graduated from high school the same year, all went to college.
One friend uses pretty much the bare minimum: some computer, some cell phone. The other friend is definitely plugged in: computer, cell phone, various social networks, downloadables, etc.
As a librarian, I use technology every day. Not only am I fascinated with it, I need to know it to do my job! If I don't know it, how can I help patrons? But here's a little secret: sometimes I get impatient, so on occasion I play dumb about stuff so I don't have to play "trainer." Been there, done that! I never do that with patrons, though.
I've always been fascinated by technology and whatever is new. I think it all started with that first connection to the Internet. With something bigger, something that connected the world. That was all it took and I was forever hooked.
What I find so interesting is the connection people of my generation have to technology. I know as many people who are reluctant users as are users who embrace it. Those of us from Generation X seem to bridge two different schools: those who embrace technology and those who can envision a life without it.
People from my daughter's generation, the Millenials, have no concept of a life without all the technology we have now, and they expect technology to constantly change. While I am excited by new upgrades or new technologies, my daughter takes that for granted. I guess that's the true difference in our mindsets?
With the speed the world, and technology, is changing, I am grateful I find it all fascinating. To learn is to grow and evolve, right? I think my favorite line from the movie, The Big Chill, sums it up:
"I'm evolving, I'm still evolving."
One friend uses pretty much the bare minimum: some computer, some cell phone. The other friend is definitely plugged in: computer, cell phone, various social networks, downloadables, etc.
As a librarian, I use technology every day. Not only am I fascinated with it, I need to know it to do my job! If I don't know it, how can I help patrons? But here's a little secret: sometimes I get impatient, so on occasion I play dumb about stuff so I don't have to play "trainer." Been there, done that! I never do that with patrons, though.
I've always been fascinated by technology and whatever is new. I think it all started with that first connection to the Internet. With something bigger, something that connected the world. That was all it took and I was forever hooked.
What I find so interesting is the connection people of my generation have to technology. I know as many people who are reluctant users as are users who embrace it. Those of us from Generation X seem to bridge two different schools: those who embrace technology and those who can envision a life without it.
People from my daughter's generation, the Millenials, have no concept of a life without all the technology we have now, and they expect technology to constantly change. While I am excited by new upgrades or new technologies, my daughter takes that for granted. I guess that's the true difference in our mindsets?
With the speed the world, and technology, is changing, I am grateful I find it all fascinating. To learn is to grow and evolve, right? I think my favorite line from the movie, The Big Chill, sums it up:
"I'm evolving, I'm still evolving."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
About Last Night
Gillian was home sick yesterday. Stomach ache and headache. I stayed home with her, too, and just went to work for my desk time and book club. By evening, she was feeling just fine.
She decided to go to bed at 9pm, so she could get up at her usual 5:30am. I went to bed at 10pm, and read until 11pm. Before turning in, I went in to check on her. Gillian was laying there, awake, and complained to me that she had been trying to go to sleep for the last 2 hours. I told her to just relax, and just try to go to sleep, but she did rest all day, so I wasn't surprised she was having trouble going to sleep.
I went to bed.
A little while later, I hear someone by my bed. It was Gillian. "Do you know where my MP3 player is? I found my earbuds."
I told her no, I didn't know where it was, and go to bed. Her response was, "Whatever."
A few minutes later, I had a hunch, and got up. Yep. Her door was closed and her light was on. I walked in, and there she is, pulling her dresser away from the wall, looking for her MP3 player.
She did find her portable drive......
I told her to go to bed, made sure she was in bed, pushed her dresser back against her wall, and turned off the light.
But, a few minutes later......."Mom, I think one of the cats is in the dresser!" Sooooooo, I got up, saw both cats, and told the girl, nothing is in your dresser, I opened the drawers, and all was well. I tucked her in, told her to STAY in bed, and shut off her light! And I announced, "Tonight has turned into a Comedy of Errors!"
And I laughed all the way back to bed.
She decided to go to bed at 9pm, so she could get up at her usual 5:30am. I went to bed at 10pm, and read until 11pm. Before turning in, I went in to check on her. Gillian was laying there, awake, and complained to me that she had been trying to go to sleep for the last 2 hours. I told her to just relax, and just try to go to sleep, but she did rest all day, so I wasn't surprised she was having trouble going to sleep.
I went to bed.
A little while later, I hear someone by my bed. It was Gillian. "Do you know where my MP3 player is? I found my earbuds."
I told her no, I didn't know where it was, and go to bed. Her response was, "Whatever."
A few minutes later, I had a hunch, and got up. Yep. Her door was closed and her light was on. I walked in, and there she is, pulling her dresser away from the wall, looking for her MP3 player.
She did find her portable drive......
I told her to go to bed, made sure she was in bed, pushed her dresser back against her wall, and turned off the light.
But, a few minutes later......."Mom, I think one of the cats is in the dresser!" Sooooooo, I got up, saw both cats, and told the girl, nothing is in your dresser, I opened the drawers, and all was well. I tucked her in, told her to STAY in bed, and shut off her light! And I announced, "Tonight has turned into a Comedy of Errors!"
And I laughed all the way back to bed.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Gray or Grey?
After just updating my Facebook status with (Elaine Hayes Reitz) "thinks a chilly, gray Sunday is the perfect day to just putz around the house," I started to wonder about that age old question:
What's the difference between "grey" and "gray"? (OK, it's probably just me that thinks this is an age old question, so just humor me.)
The English language is such a wonderfully strange and complex language. Plus, depending where you live, English can be a very different language! Word spellings rarely seem to follow any sort of rules - for every rule there seem to be more exceptions to that rule than words that actually follow the rule!
So, after updating my Facebook status, I decided to discover, once and for all, the difference between "gray" and "grey". You know what I discovered?
For all intents and purposes, GRAY is the American spelling. GREY is the British spelling. But both are correct.
Yeesh. That was it?
What's the difference between "grey" and "gray"? (OK, it's probably just me that thinks this is an age old question, so just humor me.)
The English language is such a wonderfully strange and complex language. Plus, depending where you live, English can be a very different language! Word spellings rarely seem to follow any sort of rules - for every rule there seem to be more exceptions to that rule than words that actually follow the rule!
So, after updating my Facebook status, I decided to discover, once and for all, the difference between "gray" and "grey". You know what I discovered?
For all intents and purposes, GRAY is the American spelling. GREY is the British spelling. But both are correct.
Yeesh. That was it?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
It's a Generational Thing
I love when I have the time to just let my mind wander and think about whatever it wants. You just never know what thoughts will pop into your head!
Last night I started thinking about technology and the differences between my generation and Gillian's generation. What we each take for granted that the generation before did not have.
For my generation, it was fairly limited. Television, of course, and maybe air conditioners. I remember when music cassettes became so popular they edged out LPs. But the big thing would have to be television. I remember my parents talking about sitting around the radio for entertainment, and my dad talking about his favorite radio shows - The Shadow, Jack Armstrong, Little Orphan Annie. As a kid, I couldn't imagine a world without TV!
And then there was this HUGE technology explosion! CDs, cell phones, computers, Internet, laptop computers, iPhone, Playstation, Xbox, Wii, the list goes on and on! Gillian, a member of the Millenials, has absolutely no concept of a world without them.
Sometimes I wonder if there's been an evolutionary shift. The kids of Gillian's age group seem to have an instinctive understanding of all this technology. They just know how it works. And they gravitate toward anything new.
It's just amazing to me. Technology changes and improves so quickly anymore. The saying, "As soon as you buy a computer it's out of date" is so true. But to the Millenials, it is what it is! They aren't amazed by the speed of upgrades and new technology.
That's just their world.
Last night I started thinking about technology and the differences between my generation and Gillian's generation. What we each take for granted that the generation before did not have.
For my generation, it was fairly limited. Television, of course, and maybe air conditioners. I remember when music cassettes became so popular they edged out LPs. But the big thing would have to be television. I remember my parents talking about sitting around the radio for entertainment, and my dad talking about his favorite radio shows - The Shadow, Jack Armstrong, Little Orphan Annie. As a kid, I couldn't imagine a world without TV!
And then there was this HUGE technology explosion! CDs, cell phones, computers, Internet, laptop computers, iPhone, Playstation, Xbox, Wii, the list goes on and on! Gillian, a member of the Millenials, has absolutely no concept of a world without them.
Sometimes I wonder if there's been an evolutionary shift. The kids of Gillian's age group seem to have an instinctive understanding of all this technology. They just know how it works. And they gravitate toward anything new.
It's just amazing to me. Technology changes and improves so quickly anymore. The saying, "As soon as you buy a computer it's out of date" is so true. But to the Millenials, it is what it is! They aren't amazed by the speed of upgrades and new technology.
That's just their world.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Questions, Questions.....
I know I've said this before, but it's true: you just never know what kind of questions you'll be asked on any given day in libraryland. This evening I was asked two of the best questions ever:
1. Do you sleep here or do you sleep someplace else?
2. Where's the bathroom, lady?
Both questions were posed to me by two very precocious junior patrons. !!!!
My answers were:
1. I sleep at my house just like you sleep at yours.
and
2. Out the door and to the left. And then I laughed. Very hard.
1. Do you sleep here or do you sleep someplace else?
2. Where's the bathroom, lady?
Both questions were posed to me by two very precocious junior patrons. !!!!
My answers were:
1. I sleep at my house just like you sleep at yours.
and
2. Out the door and to the left. And then I laughed. Very hard.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
If I Should Ever Take the Plunge....
To go back to school again, that is - I believe I would study Anthropology. Get that PhD. that is always tickling the back of my brain.
It would be school simply for the sake of learning. And what fascinates me so much in the field of Anthropology is myth/legend/folklore. Where do our myths and legends come from? Why does every culture have its own dragon myths? And what about those ogres? It's these ancient myths and legends that fascinate me so.
Before humans had a written language, they told stories to impart information. These stories have been passed through generations for thousands of years, taking many different incarnations. I just find it incredibly interesting that many cultures share similar myths. It makes me think that there must be a shred of truth to these myths if many cultures share similar stories.
Who knows? Maybe someday I'll take that plunge again......
It would be school simply for the sake of learning. And what fascinates me so much in the field of Anthropology is myth/legend/folklore. Where do our myths and legends come from? Why does every culture have its own dragon myths? And what about those ogres? It's these ancient myths and legends that fascinate me so.
Before humans had a written language, they told stories to impart information. These stories have been passed through generations for thousands of years, taking many different incarnations. I just find it incredibly interesting that many cultures share similar myths. It makes me think that there must be a shred of truth to these myths if many cultures share similar stories.
Who knows? Maybe someday I'll take that plunge again......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)